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The top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee said Wednesday that the Colombian prostitutes at the center of an emerging scandal in the Secret Service had no access to classified information.
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the judiciary panel, said that Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan believes the Colombian prostitutes involved in the scandal did not have access to secure information or materials that may have been in the hotel rooms of Secret Service personnel.
Recounting his conversation with Sullivan yesterday, Grassley said, "He gave us an idea of where guns and papers and personal belongings connected to them are stored. But, I think that he feels that protocol was followed."
Grassley also said he believes the youngest woman involved was about 20 or 21 years old and that the Service has a handle on the number of women that were brought back to the hotel, believed to be 20 or 21 women.
Grassley credited Sullivan for assigning an inspector general to investigate what happened last week in Colombia. He said Judiciary Committee staff will be meeting with Secret Service representatives later this week to get a more complete briefing. Grassley would not make a judgement on whether Sullivan should keep his job until he learns more about the investigation.
Will the Senate Judiciary Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Secret Service, conduct its own investigation?
"I would say we would only come to that conclusion to the extent to which we thought the Inspector General was not doing the job," Grassley said.
Grassley expressed concern about a culture of misbehavior that may exist in the Secret Service.
"I did tell [Sullivan] that this agency has a very good reputation over 150 years as far as I know ... and so it's quite a shock"
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*Big sigh of relief*
In a way, this incident might of been a blessing in disguise.
Now it's time to clean house @ the Secret Service & toss out all the bad apples...
Feisty Redhead Roselle, IL
Now it's time to clean house @ the Secret Service & toss out all the bad apples...
Not to mention; it's also time the media focuses on the reason and the accomplishments the President did there. But, scandal is always the de jour for the media to sensationalize. It would be nice if the media would do its job and report the other things happening there; instead of pivoting to try and attach scandal to this President.
Now it's time to clean house @ the Secret Service & toss out all the bad apples...
I couldn't agree more.
But I'm not breathing a sigh of relief yet. I still want a further accounting. As stated:
Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, the ranking member of the judiciary panel, said that Secret Service Director Mark Sullivan believes the Colombian prostitutes involved in the scandal did not have access to secure information or materials that may have been in the hotel rooms of Secret Service personnel.
Recounting his conversation with Sullivan yesterday, Grassley said, "He gave us an idea of where guns and papers and personal belongings connected to them are stored. But, I think that he feels that protocol was followed."
Did every room the agents rent have a safe in them where their guns/secure information was stored? If not, I would like to know how anyone could be sure that the secure information was indeed, secure.
Thankfully no harm came to the president other than an embarrassing consequence made by the agents in question.
I'm having trouble with the concept that "protocol was followed"---is there Secret Service protocol for when the agents bring prostitutes back to their rooms? Shouldn't the protocol be that when on assignment in a foreign country DON"T HAVE SEX. They couldn't wait a week?
This is exactly why no members of the Senate or Congress should hold any committee positions !They can hide what happens ..or vote to seal the records .. These positions should be held by private citizens ..if they were the insurance company's would not have written the health care bill
Grassley is one of many problems !
Quite a difference in the context, no? How would Grassley know. How would Director Sullivan know? Did the accused agents say so? They'd have no reason to fudge the facts, right?
Well it's certainly nice everyone feels good about the protocol being followed, if it was followed.
So nobody knew this was going on but they know "women (hookers) in Columbia had no access to classified info"???? REALLY?!?!?!? That's a good one. Do they really think anyone is stupid enough to believe this?
BYW Feisty what would be REALLY nice is if they cleaned house in the government and got rid of all the bad apples there as well....but then who would be left?
The protocol in question is probably the same as, say, ensuring that your wife or girlfriend does not get access to your weapon or your radio or any classified info.
...but, you're correct, the protocol should obviously keep away from the hookers.
You know, I thought these secret service agents were paid enough that 50 bucks would be a bargain for a hooker.
bev -- good point. what did the President accomplish during his visit?
Obama said himself that he found another great vacation spot for his wife. Mission accomplished!
This is exactly why no members of the Senate or Congress should hold any committee positions !They can hide what happens ..or vote to seal the records .. These positions should be held by private citizens ..if they were the insurance company's would not have written the health care bill !